This seemed strangely out of character after the way he’d insisted they were there for my safety. But I wasn’t about to look a gift demon in the mouth.

“Deal.”

He smiled. I smiled back. I had no doubt that he’d make me wear an exquisite, yet much too expensive dress, shoes that made me want to cut off my feet, and make up. He’d take me somewhere public, so he could demonstrate to everyone that he had a pet bounty hunter under his control. I’d resent him even more than I did now, and he’d be confused by the fact that I somehow still didn’t want him in my life.

Lies, a little voice said in my head, and I scowled. Fine. There were certain aspects of Samael that I didn’t hate, but they were always overshadowed by the things he did to make me wish I’d never met him.

“Our date starts now.”

“Excuse me?” Every time I thought I had a handle on the demon, he blindsided me. The satisfied expression on his face told me he knew very well that I’d expected him to trot me out in public and make me wish I was anywhere else on our ‘date.’

“Are you reneging on our deal?”

“Of course not. But I need to go to Merrill’s and check out his store.” He folded his arms, his body language nothing but stubborn, arrogant male.

Fine. If this was what it took to get my privacy back, I’d visit Merrill’s store later. I rolled my eyes. “Let’s go.”

I let out a yelp as he leaned down and I was suddenly in his arms.

He strode to the balcony, pushed the door open, and leapt. A chunk of my hair found its way into my mouth and I spat it out as he shot into the sky, invisible wings taking us high enough that I shivered. He immediately dropped lower, where the air was warmer, and I watched the city fly by beneath us. Within a few minutes, we landed behind what was once a human university.

Wait…

I squirmed in his arms as he approached the portal. “Samael,” I said warningly, and he ignored me. The portal was lit with every color of blue, the center so light it was almost white, while the edges gleamed a blue the color of the night sky moments after the sun had gone down.

The last time I’d gone through this portal, my body had rebelled. It was evident that we were going through again, and the way Samael’s hands tightened on my body made it clear he wasn’t allowing me to change my mind about this little “date.”

I wrapped my arms around his neck and buried my face against his throat. My nose brushed his skin and he stiffened in surprise, but he’d already steered us into the portal.